Cordoba, Iguazu, and so much more

Wow, so much has happened since Mendoza, but with such a short time left in my travels it is getting harder and harder to sit down at a computer to recount.  Mendoza is an amazing city, with its tree lined streets, magnificent wine, and numerous plazas, I found myself there for around a week enjoying the sunshine and the good friends.  Daily ritual included cooking a great breakfast and heading out for the sun.  I would get to the park, sip a matè and do some people watching, read Ishmael (amazing book by the way), and juggle the day away.  Next it was back to cook a killer dinner (there are definite advantages to traveling with a chef) and then out for the evening.  When it came time to leave, I headed inland to Cordoba.  Cordoba is a city with 8 universities and a vibrant night life, upon arriving, as is customary, I began my wanderings to further acquaint myself with the area.  After spending so much time in the parks of mendoza, I had park on my mind and juggling balls ready to fly.  I wandered through the crazy streets, seemingly always another block away from my grassy destination, when with a sudden glance through the trees I was eye to eye with a Gorilla.  Shock was my first reaction, then of course intrigue.  I had stumbled upon the outskirts of the zoo, and those of you who have read Ishmael would probably better understand my suprise.  He had the sad eyes of a wild animal, spirit broken by his human captors, he sat there looking me in the eyes for what seemed like forever, then in an instant he broke away.  I continued down the road, bushwhacking the urban jungle and came across an enormous grizzly bear pacing around his pool, I watched his rhythmic steps and could sense his impatience and frustration.  With these magnificent creatures on my mind I continued on to the park, thinking of their respective homes and the sheer grandeur and variance of this planet.  I found my place in the sun and it wasn´t long until I gained the intrigue of three Cordoba locals, photography students out looking for a shot.  After a few hours of conversation we made plans to go to a Jazz club later that evening, proving to be the best live music I have heard on my entire trip.  At one point ten musicians on stage, a bassist who played with a certain flair of Victor Wooten, a guitarist, three saxophones, alto tenor and soprano, congo drummer, trap set, violinist, pianist, and a huge didgery doo.  However, the night life of Cordoba proved to be a little too intense for me and I soon found myself longing for a piece of nature.  After two days, I changed my plans on a whim and bought a ticket to Iguazu falls.  After 20 something hours of bus, I went from a dry midland climate to the jungle pampas of Iguazu.

The waterfalls of Iguazu, shared by both Argentina and Brazil, are one of the most incredible and impressive things I have seen in all of my life.  I had the luck of arriving shortly before they closed many of the hiking trails around the Argentina side due to high water.  The sheer force and quantity of the falls was nothing but awe inspiring.  Being of the opinion that weather should either be appreciated or ignored, I took to the falls on a wonderfully rainy day, early so as to miss the crowds, which turned out not to be a problem anyway.  With thunder rolling over head and bright flashes of lightning cracking through the clouds, I spent the entire day wandering about the numerous trails with an enormous smile on my face.  The constant roar of the water and the angry thunder seemed to be at odds that day, each trying to prove who is louder and more powerful.  The trails in the park take you all around the falls.  Erected over the river, the metal walkways take you right to the edge of the drop offs, then back around to the bottom.  On an impulse, I went for a boat ride in a speedy whale watching boat, bringing us to the edge of the descending water, only to feel the power of the spray coming back up, a force powerful enough to completely blind you and ruin any chance you had of claiming your rain jacket waterproof.  The most impressive spectacle however was the Garganta del diablo, the throat of the devil.  After walking 15 minutes or so over the calm wide river above the falls, suspended on the walkway by only a few feet, you come to a large bowl, pouring water from all sides, the immensity of the descending water launches the spray back up 100 feet, drifting the mist into your awe struck face.  If it had not been for the increasing lightning activity and the fact that I was standing on a metal structure in the rain in the center of the river, I would not have left, it was absolutely mesmerizing.

The constant roar of the water and the angry thunder seemed to be at odds that day, each trying to prove who is louder and more powerful.

With the lingering adrenaline of Iguazu, I hopped another 26 hour bus to Salta, located in the northern region of Argentina and again met up with Orlando, a great friend I left behind in Mendoza.  Salta being a fairly large city, I occupied the majority of my time hiking the local cerro, a peak on the edge of town about a 1,300 foot rise from the city, offering spectacular views and an amazing location for a good game of dominos.  The night life, like Cordoba, is as well quite active, often going until dawn.  While out to dinner with some friends from the hostel, we had the pleasure of taking in a local group playing traditional latin american music.  With hand drums, guitars, flute and an amazing vocalist, they proceeded to play remarkable music through out the night, and much to the pleasure of yours truly, they invited me to play a drum with them for their second set.  After a few nights out on the town, I was once again ready for a bit of a slow down.  Orlando and I headed off to Tilcara, a small andean town in the Jujuy province, a canyon / desert terrain with hiking trails just outside the door and an absolutely stunning view of the highly eroded sedimentary canyons just off the rooftop patio of this charming little hostel.  With time running out, leisure is now a luxury I cannot afford, and regrettably, I parted ways with Tilcara and Orlando and made my way once again into Bolivia, which is where I find myself now preparing for a good nights rest and another adventure in the morn.